More Than Just A Rookie
by ghrocks07
Summary: Sam/Andy fic. Andy gets paired with another TO for a day, but something goes terribly wrong.  Andy is caught in a deadly hostage situation and Sam realizes what she really means to him. Please read and review!
1. Amidst Confusion

Rookie Blue

_**|| Sam Swarek & Andy McNally ||**_

_Andy gets paired with another TO for a day, but something goes terribly wrong. Andy is caught in a deadly hostage situation and Sam realizes what she really means to him._

_..._

It was just another one of the days on the job, walking in, gearing up, you have no idea what to expect. Every day brings a new challenge, a new experience. Toronto PD Rookie Andy McNally was just beginning to realize that.

It was 7:00am and Andy sat anxiously awaiting her assignment in the briefing room. She was a little early, which came as a surprise to her, because she already had a reputation for walking in late. She toyed with a string on the seam of her pants as officers started filling the empty seats around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she scanned the group of officers walking in, waiting for one in particular. Sam Swarek. Her training officer. There was something about him, something she couldn't describe, yet he made her feel like no one else could, personally and professionally. A few seconds passed and then she caught a glimpse of him walking in, laughing and joking with a couple other officers. She immediately turned away from the door and started looking at her pants again, trying to conceal her observation. Now it seemed that every officer for this shift had walked in and found a comfortable place in the room to hear their assignments for the day. Boyko then starting pairing officers and assigning them different beats or duties throughout the station. Eventually, he looked to Andy and said,

"Rookie Andy McNally and Senior Officer Chris Laughlin, you two will be working the second beat, but make sure to keep an eye out for anyone who matches this description."

He passed down two sheets of paper across the room, one making its way to each of them. The papers had a picture of a suspect wanted for Armed Robbery, Murder, and Aggravated Assault. He was what they referred to as a "third striker," basically meaning he wasn't going down without a fight. The papers also contained his last known locations, the model of the car that was registered to him, and his license plate number.

Andy was both disappointed and confused about why she hadn't been paired up with Sam. Yet, she didn't want to make a big deal out of anything, especially considering that Sam might not be bothered by it.

Everyone started clearing out but Officer Laughlin was waiting on the other side of the room in order to catch up with Andy. As everyone was leaving, she spotted Sam, who looked back and gave her one of those understanding and reassuring smiles, like everything would be back to normal soon.

Andy breathed a subtle sigh of relief, and then made her way over to Officer Laughlin.

"Hello sir, it's very nice to meet you, I'm-"

"I know who you are," he cut in, "Can we save the introductions for later? We have work to do."

Andy, embarrassed, shut up and began following her "mentor" for the day, wishing more than ever that she could go file paperwork by herself rather than deal with this officer's shining personality for the countless hours that lie ahead.

...

It was about an hour into her shift and Andy sat miserably in the passenger seat of the squad car listening to Officer Laughlin devour his hamburger. She had her forehead pressed to the glass, observing, without interest, everything that was going on in the deserted parking lot in which they were located.

Minutes passed and he'd finally finished his food, and now they were driving around in no particular direction, in silence. Andy began rubbing her temples, trying to think of a better way to deal with the rest of the time she was stuck with him. Peering out the window, they came to a rolling stop at an intersection with a warehouse at one of the corners.

Then, something caught her eye. She squinted her eyes to see that on the back side of the building, there looked to be a beaten up car fitting the exact description of the suspect's. She quickly unraveled the paper which she had previously balled up in her fist, and looked back and forth anxiously. Finally, she came to a conclusion.

She turned to Officer Laughlin, who was licking his fingers from his recent meal, and quickly relayed the information.

"Sir! Look, over there, behind that warehouse. That's the model of the car isn't it? Same color, same year?" He dropped the wrapper of his burger and quickly scanned around his seat for the paper, then he looked over to Andy and shouted, "Give me that!"

He looked at the paper quickly and then drove up through the signal and past the warehouse to observe more closely. Once they'd passed it and confirmed the license plate, he called it in.

"126, Fifteenth and Birch." He radioed.

"126, Go ahead."

"We have a possible match on the wanted suspect's vehicle at this warehouse on the Northeast corner. We're going in to check it out. We'll call for back-up if necessary."

"126, 10-4." Dispatch concluded.

Andy then looked at Officer Laughlin, nervously, and followed his lead without any direction from him whatsoever. He palms were sweating, her nerves were on end, having no idea what to anticipate going into this warehouse.

"Sir-" she started.

"What?" He shot back irritably.

"I've never cleared a warehouse this big before, what would be the best way to do so?"

"McNally, it isn't rocket science, you go in, like a house, clear the perimeter, and always watch your back. I'll take the front, you go around through the back."

Andy was completely nervous now, going in blind, not trusting anyone besides herself. Especially not Laughlin. She knew deep inside that if she were here with Sam, he'd protect her, he'd make sure that she was never in a position of danger unless he could help it. Now, unconsciously, all she wished for was him to be here by her side.

...

Sam was sitting at a desk awkwardly, messing with a pen. He had his head resting on his hand, bored beyond belief. He was assigned to watch over the rookies and teach them how to do paperwork. However, going in, he found out that they had already been taught what to do. Now, he just had to supervise. Although somewhat annoyed, he just sat back and listened to Epstein and Nash go back and forth about the stupidest things.

"Rookies," he muttered under his breath. He couldn't help thinking about Andy, I mean, she was _his _rookie, after all, and he was somewhat irritated that the shift sergeant didn't pair them up. He was tempted to go ask why, but figured he would just dig himself into a deeper hole. Throughout his boredom, he would check on Andy. As of now, he had his radio turned low, but he would turn it up at times to see what they were getting into. So far, all he'd heard was Laughlin's voice calling in to dispatch that they were on a break, eating. Sam never really liked that guy, although he hadn't gotten to know him very well considering he was undercover, but there was something about him that rubbed him the wrong way. As he thought about all of this, he decided to turn his radio up once again, and then went back to messing with the lone pen on the desk.


	2. The Breaking Point

_Okay, so I know this Chapter is incredibly short compared to the last one, but I had to set everything up in order to get the right suspense. Hope you guys like this one._

...

Andy's heart was almost beating out of her chest. Her adrenaline was rushing, and millions of thoughts crossed her mind as she ran quickly along the back side of the warehouse, gun drawn.

She kept glancing down, trying not to step on anything that made noise, so as to not compromise her location to anyone who may be inside. She then came across a door, with a window on the other side.

She passed the door briefly, and inconspicuously looked inside. She didn't see anyone within, and therefore, after a deep breath, she did her best to open the heavy metal door quietly. Thankfully it was unlocked.

She stepped in, trying to calm her breathing, and scanned the room for anything that moved. She pressed her back against a wall, then after a few seconds turned quickly, her gun leading the way. She kept stepping sideways, in an effort to walk quietly and more efficiently. Now she was making her way down a hallway. She heard nothing. It was almost an eerie feeling that set in her stomach as she kept clearing rooms. Beads of sweat ran down her face as she kept moving.

Then, all of a sudden, she heard shots being fired towards the north end of the building. Immediately, she turned and grabbed her radio with her free hand.

Almost out of breath, she whispered hoarsely, "This is 126! 126! Shots fired at our location, send back-up immediately!" Fear trembled within her voice.

…

Sam heard this and his body almost went into shock. The pen in his hand dropped to the ground. Everyone in vicinity heard the call from his radio and went silent. It took him two seconds to register everything, but then he turned up his radio volume to MAX, stood up, and ran out of the station and into any available unit. He now was going Code 3 to her location.

…

Dispatch responded within seconds, and now Andy began sprinting towards the gunfire. She came up behind the gunmen, who were firing at Laughlin. There were three. As she approached, Laughlin had taken one out. In doing so, he prompted one of the other men to turn around to check on his partner, as the other provided cover fire. Andy instantly raised her gun to fire, but the gunman who turned around had the upper hand, and shot off three rounds before she could unload any. Andy was hit twice.

Seeing this, Laughlin grabbed his radio and updated dispatch..

"126! Officer down! Officer down! McNally has been hit, I can't tell how many times, at least once, and I'm still taking fire! We need help, now!"

…

Hearing this, it almost paralyzed Sam. He struggled to figure out how this all took place, what went wrong, and if he could have done anything to prevent it. However, at the same time, rage set in, and he slammed down the accelerator of the squad car as far as it could go. He was getting there alright, and he was determined to seek justice/revenge on anyone and everyone involved.

_Reviews are very much appreciated, and constructive criticism is always welcome._

_Please let me know what you think._


	3. Emotional Instability

_Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed._

Andy lay flat on her back, struggling to breathe and trying to focus in on something, anything. Her vision was blurry, and it was too painful to move. She kept squinting and slightly moving her head as she listened to the constant and rapid gunfire all around her. Each shot rang through her body like an EMP, and there was nothing she could do. She was helpless and vulnerable.

She listened as best she could and tried to decipher what was being said through all of the yelling. She heard Laughlin shouting commands but being cut off by gunfire. She heard the two gunmen taking transitions, one covering for the other as they reload.

Now, as Andy felt like drifting away, she heard one of the metal doors slam open and at least 5 other officers enter while yelling commands. The gunmen already had cover behind a wall, but Andy could sense their confidence fading. They were starting to panic. She pressed her eyelids together and winced in pain as she tried to move. The gunmen then started yelling at each other while trying to figure out an escape route.

In the midst of all of this chaos, Andy then heard Sam's voice. All she wanted was the strength to lift her head and see his face, even if it were for the last time. She tried with every ounce of power she had left, but to no avail. It was no use, all she heard was yelling, arguing, and gunfire. She just wanted to get away from it all. What happened next was the last thing anyone could have expected.

One of the gunmen ran out and unloaded several rounds causing all of the officers to take cover. Sam ducked behind a counter but continued to watch Andy intently. Then, the second gunman ran out and grabbed Andy, he picked her up, causing her to scream in excruciating pain, and put his gun to her head.

They figured their only way out was with a hostage, a cop nonetheless. Sam was infuriated, he stood up and placed a bullet in the head of the gunman providing cover fire, disregarding his own safety for a moment. Now it was only one gunman standing in the way of Andy. He was holding her up to the best of his ability, hiding behind her like a coward. She was barely vertical, her teeth clenched together from the pain, her body shaking from the lack of oxygen and struggle to breathe.

"BACK UP! PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN OR I'LL SHOOT! I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL!"

Several officers exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. Sam was now so angry he could barely contain himself. He wanted to charge the gunman and cause him so much pain that he'd wish he were dead. Sam, instead of putting his gun down, subtly snuck out and around the officers. He wanted to get a better angle.

Before leaving her sight, he looked at Andy, with more passion, with more desire than he could have ever imagined he'd feel, ignoring the screaming and madness taking place for one second. Her eyes were now swollen with tears, red and bloodshot. She was barely conscious. He kept trying to see if any of the bullets had gone through her vest, however even if they hadn't, she could still have severe injuries.

He snapped out of his thoughts and kept moving, though. He climbed on top of a few wooden boxes at the other end. He now had a shot, but it wasn't clear. It was too risky, he couldn't jeopardize her life like that. He got down and searched vigorously for another vantage point, as he heard the situation escalating. Scream after scream, threat after threat, until..

_**BANG!**_

A single gunshot rang throughout the entire warehouse. The whole room became silent, and Sam stopped in his tracks, not having visual contact with the situation. His heart seemed to be in his throat, and every muscle in his body refused to move as he ran through all of the possibilities of what had just taken place in his mind…


	4. Facing Reality

Sam got up the nerve to turn around, his heart pounding, his eyes starting to tear up, the emptiness in his chest growing larger. Beginning to walk, stunned by the turn of events, he felt as if he had hundreds of extra pounds weighing him down with each step he took.

He was about to round the corner to where the entire situation would be visible to him. He wasn't himself, in shock, possibly, and everything seemed surreal. He started to turn the corner when he saw a pool of blood.

It took him back, his facial expressions changed rapidly from surprised, to nauseated, to enraged. He was then fed-up, and quickly turned the corner completely, denying anything other than what he was hoping for.

He wanted the blood to be the gunman's.. He wanted him to pay for all the pain that he'd caused her, and him as well.. He wanted this all to go away, to turn back time and refuse to let Andy go out on her own, especially with an officer he didn't particularly trust. God, this was a mess.

Now he was face to face with reality.. surveying what had taken place.. and as soon as he had registered what had really happened.. the tears that were once forming in his eyes.. overflowed. He swallowed, hard, and tears began streaming down his face. He ran over to Andy's side, kneeling in the blood, wiping, with one hand, the tears that fell from his cheeks…

"Andy, Andy, listen to me! You're going to be okay, you hear me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you from here on out, I'm so sorry Andy.. I'm so sorry…"

Medics rushed in, got her on a stretcher, and left immediately. The coroners soon followed for the three, lifeless bodies of the gunman. The shot that nearly stopped Sam's heart, had killed the gunman and saved Andy's life.

It was fired by Luke Callaghan, Andy's ex.

He had time to deal with that later, but now, all he wanted to do was be with Andy, he followed the stretched like a puppy on a leash, but was not allowed onto the ambulance with her, one, because he was not family, and two, because the medics needed room to work. Sam watched as the ambulance drove off.

He was so distraught that this had happened to _his_ rookie. _But she wasn't just a rookie, was she Sam? She isn't JUST a rookie. _Sam's thoughts took over and he became so angry at not only everyone else, but himself too, even though none of this was his fault. Consequently, he slammed his fist against the wooden wall of the warehouse. Aware that he was being watched, he looked at all of the uniforms and medical personnel surrounding him, but then unintentionally spotted Chris Laughlin.

He was sitting on one of the boxes, staring at the ground, looking pitiful. The sight of this catalyzed Sam's rage and he charged straight over to him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and slammed him against the wall.

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? Are you stupid? How could you let a _rookie_ clear an entire half of a warehouse BY HERSELF? And what? You're too bad-ass to call for back-up huh? But you can handle it, can't you, tough guy? YOU IDIO-" Sam was interrupted by several officers who immediately pulled him off of Laughlin.

Laughlin was speechless, and stunned. He just stood there, staring at Sam, understanding what he was saying completely. He had an air of shame about him, something that just irritated Sam all the more.

"C'mon, macho-man! Come try and kick my ass, I dare you!" Sam shot at him while being held back. "You better pray to God that she's okay, Laughlin, because if she isn't I SWEAR-"

The officers kept walking him backwards. Sam turned away from Laughlin, disgusted, and shrugged the officers off. He kept walking away, ignoring everyone and everything in his way, and got in his squad car. He drove off, making his way to the hospital as quickly as possible.

As he drove, he looked up into the rear-view mirror and saw his red eyes and tear-stained cheeks looking back at him. Shaking his head and clenching his jaw, he said softly to himself..

"Yeah, she's more than just a rookie."


	5. The Moment of Truth

_5__th__ and final Chapter, please read and review. I immensely enjoy reading your feedback, and constructive criticism is always welcome._

...

Sam was just arriving at the hospital, a total wreck, but he honestly couldn't care less. His hair was a mess, his uniform un-tucked, (from his incident with Laughlin), and his eyes were completely swollen.

He walked in, not having any knowledge as to the extent of her injuries, and was directed towards a waiting room. Knowing that no one would be looking for him in the next minute or so, he made his way to the bathroom, rinsing his face with ice cold water, replaying the day's events over and over in his mind. They haunted him, and Sam couldn't bear to deal with them right now. He stormed out and proceeded to wait restlessly in one of the many extremely uncomfortable hospital chairs.

Within minutes several officers filled the other chairs in the room, not needing to say a word. They took one inquiring look at Sam, and once he shrugged his shoulders, they knew they were all in the same boat. One of them mentioned to Sam that they'd tried to get a hold of Andy's dad, but couldn't. He nodded in acknowledgement.

Hours passed, and patience not being his virtue, he put some pressure on the nurses in order to make sure he was updated on her condition as soon as anything took place. A few minutes later, a doctor had come out to brief everyone.

"As you know, sir, (directing his information towards Sam), Ms. McNally was in a very horrible incident. One of the gunshots was stopped by the vest, however, she sustained severe injuries from the other. From the angle it hit, it penetrated one of the lesser durable portions of the vest around the outside of the collar. We operated, and the bullet was successfully removed, but she will need at least three months of rest for extensive recovery before returning to work."

"When can I see her?" Sam asked intently.

"She's unconscious for the moment, still under sedation from the operation, I'd give her another hour before allowing any visitors. I'll let you know if her condition changes."

The doctor observed Sam's response as if he understood, put a hand on his shoulder, and walked away.

Sam was relieved to hear that she was okay. He sighed and sank back into his chair. Meanwhile, Detective Callaghan made his way over to him.

"Hey," Luke started.

Sam didn't respond, just looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. He never liked Luke, in fact, he began to despise him ever since he and Andy started dating.

"I'm sorry to hear about Andy, I know you two were close, like her and I, and I just wanted to give you my consolations, and let you know that I understand what you're going through."

Sam had just started to calm down, and was just beginning to forget all of the rage he had built up throughout the day, so that he could be there for Andy when she needed him the most.. But now, now Sam seemed to get the angriest he had ever been. Callaghan's nonchalant attitude and assumptions absolutely **_infuriated_ **him and he had to grip the arm rests on the chair to stop from punching him right there.

Sam swallowed before he responded, "You think you understand what I'm going through, you egotistical, worthless, piece of-" He stopped himself. "You treated Andy like you did every other rookie that you slept with, you didn't really care for her! Don't you dare compare you and I, we are **nothing **alike and never will be. You use your pathetic charm and good looks to get into girls' pants, and let me tell you something punk," Sam stood up, causing Luke to back up, "If you ever again insinuate that the relationship that Andy and I have is anything like what you two used to have, I will slam my fist into the side of your face until someone else decides to stop me."

Luke was shocked and mortified, having just been called out in front of half the officers he worked with on a daily basis.

"You don't think I cared for her? Why, then, would I shoot the man holding a gun to her head? I saved her, and where were you, Mr. Training Officer? I don't remember seeing you anywher-"

That was a mistake. Sam lunged at Luke and shoved him back into another chair across the room. Luke got one punch in before Sam pinned his head against the wall. About five officers stood up, but did not move to stop Sam just yet.

"I had the shot, you creep, but I couldn't jeopardize her life just for the title of 'Hero.' She means more to me than your tiny brain could ever comprehend, and you're so naive you probably think that because you took the shot Andy will run back to you, begging for you to be with her again. Hah, if I didn't want to be here when Andy woke up, I would slam your face into this wall as hard as I could, and gladly suffer the consequences. It's cops like you that give us a bad name, and I am disgusted to have to call you a fellow co-worker."

Hospital security then entered and separated the two aggravated men, removing Luke from the room, after hearing Sam's plea. All of the officers in the room now turned and focused their attention on Sam. He ignored them all.

He was nauseated by the way this day had turned out, and the only thing he wanted to do now was see Andy. A nurse walked in at that time, with an ice pack, having noticed the shot Sam took to his right eye. He was somewhat embarrassed but sincerely thanked her.

…

It was at this time, about 45 minutes after the fight, that Sam was finally allowed inside. He put down the ice pack and slowly walked inside.

He saw the cloths pads placed over the area in which they operated, under her right shoulder. Andy's right arm was in a sling to limit her movement, and she had a bandage around her head. Apparently, she had taken a hit when she fell to the ground.

The nurse let Sam in and gently closed the door on her way out. He pulled the chair up beside her and gripped her left hand. For minutes, he sat quietly, resting his head on the bed, trying desperately to hold back his emotions. He did not intend on her waking up, but, even against his will, he fell asleep, still holding her hand.

…

He dreamt about her, subconsciously trying to erase everything that had happened that day, and at one point, he thought he'd heard her voice.

"Sam.." It was hoarse and weak. "Sam, hey, wake up."

Sam opened his eyes, and lifted his head in disbelief. Andy was awake, her eyes were somewhat open, and he had not known how long he'd been out.

"Andy," _his_ voice was now weak in her presence, "I'm so sorry, I didn't think I'd fall asleep so quickl-"

"Shh," she said, gripping his hand tighter, letting all of the emotions they felt for each other set in.

"What happened? Actually, never mind, I don't want to know just yet, all I do know is that I was hoping you'd be here," Andy let out.

Sam's lips tightened, and his eyes became moist.

"Nothing could have held me back, Andy, not now, not ever."

"Sam.."

He couldn't wait any longer, and disregarded anything that would come of what he wanted to do next.

He stood up, leaned in, and kissed her gently but passionately on her lips. She deepened it, and after a few seconds, he pulled away.

There was a moment of silence then, but it wasn't awkward. There was so much depth and meaning in the pause, where all they were doing was looking into each other's eyes. Their unspoken feelings needn't be exposed now, as both of them could guess what they meant to each other and where they stood. They knew this was more than just professional. Way more.

Andy was the first to break the silence.

"I have only one question for you, Sam. What in the world happened to _your_ face?"

_(: Okay, so that's it. Like it? Hate it? _

_Please let me know. _


End file.
